Sonny Stitt - Legends of Acid Jazz (1996)

01.Turn It On

02.Bar B Que Man

03.Miss Riverside

04.Cry Me a River

05.There Are Such Things

06.Goin' to D.C.

07.Aires

08.Black Vibrations

09.Calling Card

10.Where Is Love

11.Them Funky Changes.

Sonny Stitt (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone)

Melvin Sparks (guitar)

Virgil Jones (trumpet)

Don Patterson, Leon Spencer (organ)

Idris Muhammad (drums).

Recording information: Englewood Cliffs, NJ (01/04/1971-07/09/1971).

This CD reissues the complete contents of two former Lp's by saxophonist Sonny Stitt: Turn It On and Black Vibrations. These are rather unusual entries in Stitt's huge discography in that Sonny often sounds like a guest performer on his own sessions rather than the leader. During the earlier date, Stitt uses an electrical device (a Varitone) on his tenor that waters down his tone a bit. With organist Leon Spencer, guitarist Melvin Sparks and drummer Idris Muhammad setting down unrelenting grooves on most of the five numbers (including the 11-minute title cut), Stitt only seems to be making cameo appearances although trumpeter Virgil Jones gets in a few good solos on three of the numbers. The later date (which also has some good Jones trumpet) finds Stitt playing acoustically and switching to alto on two of the six jams, but once again it is the nonstop chugging of Sparks, Muhammad and either Leon Spencer or guest organist Don Patterson that fuels the fire. It is silly to call these soul jazz outings "acid jazz" since Sonny Stitt's solos are essentially bebop, but the grooves are danceable and funky. ~ AllMusic.

Sonny Stitt/Bud Powell/J.J. Johnson (1949-1950)

01.All God's Chillun Got Rhythm
02.Sonny Side
03.Bud's Blues
04.Sunset
05.Fine and Dandy - (take 1)
06.Fine and Dandy - (take 2)
07.Strike up the Band
08.I Want to Be Happy
09.Taking a Chance on Love
10.Afternoon in Paris - (take 1, bonus track)
11.Afternoon in Paris - (take 2)
12.Elora - (take 1, bonus track)
13.Elora - (take 2)
14.Teapot - (take 1, bonus track)
15.Teapot - (take 2)
16.Blue Mode - (take 1)
17.Blue Mode - (take 2).

Sonny Stitt (tenor saxophone)
Bud Powell (piano)
J.J. Johnson (trombone)
John Lewis (piano)
Nelson Boyd, Curly Russell (bass)
Max Roach (drums).
Tracks 1-4 recorded on December 11, 1949. Tracks 5-9 recorded on January 26, 1950. Tracks 10-17 recorded on October 17, 1949.