Comments on: Stitt and Braith and What is Collectible (and Why?)

By: Clifford Allen

Clifford Allen — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 15:33:31 +0000

Emailed him — I’m an archivist by profession and may be able to help. We’ll see.

By: Al

Al — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 14:16:32 +0000

FYI — take a look at the comment posted by Duke Pearson’s nephew. It’s under latest comments, or this post: http://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/shock-and-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-437947

For anyone who wants to email him:
readyrudy30315@yahoo.com

By: Graith

Graith — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 21:54:28 +0000

Rudy Van Gelder just passed away. There is almost always a connection to collectibility with the death of a prominent figure related to what is being collected. I imagine if you try hard enough you’ll create a trend toward expensive Jimmy Smith blue notes, but in my opinion that’s a ways off

By: Michel

Michel — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 18:39:47 +0000

I appreciate Sonny Stitt, i really don’t care if he was bashed by critics in the 50-60’s – so many were, including in France, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Bobby Hutcherson, in fact all the Blue Note league and even, for other reasons, Conte Candoli and Chet Baker (yes, Chet). I’ve read Art Peppers comments on Sonny and they are quite impressive. Musicians often know what they are talking about. Sonny was a great saxophone player, its alaways a pleasure to hear him.
I’d be happy to own a NM copy of Personnal Appearance on Verve TPT label. If someone wants to get rid of…I’d ba happy to help.

By: What_can_brown

What_can_brown — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 03:26:13 +0000

Stitt’s lasting legacy from at least his fellow musicians seems to be that he was a “snitch”. Stan Levey singularly blames Stitt for throwing him under the bus to avoid jail in his biography. I wonder if the in-the-know jazz crowd knew that Stiff was cooperating with police and to what extent this might have affected the reviews his albums received.

By: Art Klempner

Art Klempner — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 03:06:03 +0000

Thanks to those who have gone before. Anybody who ever put the devil’s horn to their lips knows that Sonny paved the way……some people do not know of what they speak. I beg the non believers to listen again.

By: jrock1675

jrock1675 — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 03:01:03 +0000

@Mike – it seems that the frame cover version is much more rare than the early thin laminated jacket. The recent auction from the Japanese seller “johnelway” had the frame jacket and sold for a hair above $2k yesterday.

By: JAZZCOURIER

JAZZCOURIER — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 00:23:46 +0000

Stitt brought all his bits and his tenor to form one part of “the eternal triangle” with Rollins and Dizzy in ’57 on the lp “Sonny side up” for Verve. Quite simply,it’s an old fashioned barn burner and a great foot race with Rollins going first,then Stitt, and then comes the trading and the chest pounding and spit is flying.To me, Sonny has the disadvantage of starting and setting the tempo because when the other Sonny comes in he is flying. It is at this sweltering tempo where he really excels and we hear him tear it open and he opens his bag of tricks,the other Sonny is running along the bus but can’t get back on but now it is over, and Dizzy has the floor. Sonny Stitt- 1957,man,it was a VERY GOOD year.

By: Earl

Earl — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 19:41:48 +0000

Concerning Stitt;
Although not the greatest of sax players, I am surprised at the level of criticism here of certainly a quite competent artist. This recording is pretty ordinary, showing Stitt in 1950 sax-and-rythm settings, and I consider it pretty much of historical interest, if nothing else than perhaps because it’s probably his first recording after switching from alto to tenor.
In Straight Life, Pepper describes a pick-up live performance of “Cherokee”with Stitt that sounds nothing short of incredible. “He played, I don’t know, about 40 choruses. He played for an hour, maybe, did everything could be done on a saxophone, everything you could play, as much as Charlie Parker could have played if he’d been there.” Pretty high praise. Pepper then goes on to describe his amazing come-back: if you have a chance read it [pp 475-6]
Stitt’s level of performance was obviously variable, but at his best, IMHO, he was up there with the greatest.
If I’m granted one wish on the other side, I will ask to be back there at that performance!

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 18:00:16 +0000

It seems like a lot of the Jutta Hipp and Zoot have no frame for some reason. There was just 4 different copies on ebay and none of them had the frame cover.