Sonny Stitt – Tune Up!

AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

Sonny Stitt recorded over 100 albums as a leader and several dozen in a quartet setting in his productive career, but this one ranks at the top. The bebop tenor and alto stylist is very inspired by the top-notch rhythm section (pianist Barry Harris, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Alan Dawson) and has rarely sounded more heated than on "Tune Up," "Idaho," "Just Friends," and "Groovin' High." However, it is his nine-minute jam on "I Got Rhythm" (which finds Stitt taking blazing solos on both tenor and alto) that is the high point of this essential set.

Sonny Stitt
Tune-Up! Cobblestone 00:00 A1 Tune-Up (Davis) 04:53 A2 I Can't Get Started (Gershwin, Duke) 10:31 A3 Idaho (Stone) 15:00 A4 Just Friends (Klenner, Lewis) 19:38 B1 Blues For Prez And Bird (Stitt) 24:10 B2 Groovin' High (Gillespie, Stone) 28:34 B3 I Got Rhythm (Gershwin, Gershwin) Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Stitt Bass – Sam Jones Drums – Alan Dawson Piano – Barry Harris Recorded February 8, 1972