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]
You'd Be so Nice to Come Home To
Sonny Stitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'd be so nice by the fire
While the breeze on high sang a lullaby
You'd be all that I could desire
Under stars chilled by the winter
Under an August moon burning above
You'd be so nice, you'd be paradise
Under stars chilled by the winter
Under an August moon burning above
You'd be so nice, you'd be paradise
To come home to and love
These classic jazz lyrics, sung by Ella Fitzgerald and written by Cole Porter for the 1943 musical Something to Shout About, are evocative of a warm and inviting homecoming after a long day or journey. The song speaks of the singer's longing to come home to their loved one, expressing how nice it would be to feel the warmth of their presence by a cozy fire. The song's lyrics suggest that even the elements, such as the singing breeze, would conspire to lull the singer to sleep as they wrap themselves in the comfort of their partner's embrace. The singer of the song describes this person as all they desire, creating the image of an ideal relationship that is awaited with open arms.
The repetition of the line "Under stars chilled by winter" and "Under an August moon burning above" are near-identical, matching the season or time the singer longs to come home to, regardless of whether it's winter or summer. It conveys an enduring sense of longing, suggesting that the time and place to which they desire to return home may be interchangeable; the desire to be with their beloved remains an unchanging constant. The use of phrases like "paradise" and "all that I could desire" elevates the importance and value the singer places on their love.
Line by Line Meaning
You'd be so nice to come home to
Coming home to you would be so comforting and wonderful.
You'd be so nice by the fire
Just sitting next to you by the fire would be a lovely and cozy experience.
While the breeze on high sang a lullaby
The calming sounds of nature around us only add to the peaceful atmosphere of being with you.
You'd be all that I could desire
Simply being with you would fulfill all of my wants and needs.
Under stars chilled by the winter
Even in the cold of winter, being with you under the stars would still bring warmth and joy to my heart.
Under an August moon burning above
Even on a hot and humid night, being with you under the moon would be an unforgettable experience.
You'd be so nice, you'd be paradise
Simply being in your presence is like being in a perfect place of pure bliss.
To come home to and love
Returning to you and being able to love you would be the greatest gift of all.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, Sentric Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Just learning about him what a sound.
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personnel??
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Bass – Edgar Willis
Drums – Kenny Dennis
Piano – Bobby Timmons
Saxophone – Sonny Stitt