"Lover Man"Sonny Stitt,Walter Bishop,Tommy Potter,Kenny Clarke. 

I hope that this vid explains why Sonny Stitt is my favorite Alto player...

I was fortunate enough to meet him once, in the 70's. What a fun character he was, prone to "Cutting" lesser players off the stage, etc. He asked us if we were musicians. He asked how long we had played. I said over 10 years. He said: "You are like a ten year old to me!" He also asked, what is a whole note. I started to explain my answer, and he said: "NO!...It's a circle with a line through it, stupid"! His playing was magnificent and transcendent! He is one of my top 5 favorite sax players, especially on alto.

Sonny -is there anyone like him since? I challenge my jazz sax students to do extensive listening. It's all there-style, sound, phrasing, ideas. A true giant!

I never had any real idea as to how to REALLY play the Saxophone until I bought a couple of Stitt Albums for a Dollar apiece at a J.M. Fields Department store in 1970. Ruined me for life....

The first time I heard this tune as a chubby little kid at my grandmas house in Vienna, I cried like a baby. For no reason at all. The music just moved me. Thank you Sonny Stitt & crew for getting me into jazz.

If there was ever such a thing as a perfect solo, it would belong to Sonny Stitt

It's reassuring to see that 136,000 people have viewed this video of the amazing Sonny Stitt. Apparently there are still a lot of us who understand

I use to go and see him everytime he played at the Jazz Showcase on rush street in Chicago. I rember going to the store for him to get cigarettes.

Sonny Stitt is awesome!! I've been a fan for a long time.

sonny stitt was the business.in total command of his instrument.one of THE great saxophone players of all time.like he said bird left him the key.nice post..

this is Stitt essentially playing with Bird's Rhythm Section.. it is so incredibly beautiful.

r u kiddin me that was freakin awesome .that sound, those lines that rhythym oh my god. it brought a tear to my eye. thank you Sonny Stitt thank you thank you

This is one of the greatest videos of a Sonny Stitt performance , you get a in depth view of one of the greatest saxophone players ever. Thanks for posting this!

That's how you play the alto. This whole concert is killer. Also appreciate the way JJ pronounces "saxophonist" ;)

The trombonist and announcer - a genius in his own right - was J J Johnson!

One of the very best Alto Sax players ever. So soulful, you feel everything he's saying. So under rated. I collect all Stitt recordings, video's and photos. Got any?

Dr. Sonny Stitt is in the House. What more can I say?

Cool! GREAT music and musicians! Fan since the mid 50's and up to this day (73.yrs old). Stay "cool" folks and DIG!

This is why I love Sonny.

One of those many horn men who you rarely hear about but were amazing !

Much respect to Mr Stitt. Bringing so much beauty into the world 🌎

Great tone on alto!

6:28 this guy literally invented the "nation wide is on your side" jingle just doing an improv outro... genius

What a genius he had for jazz. So glad you posted this

Always loved Sonny's "singing alto"

Working on a Sonny Stitt's chorus equals to a masterclass per se. Not only he has worked intensely on Bird's vocabulary, but his impeccable phrasé allows to follow his choruses like a melody...

Wow!!! Just blew my mind. So beautiful!

S. S. is the most underrated musician of all time. If I could play like that, I could die in peace....

Picking one word, I go with "wow". Stitt is my all-time favorite. I was inspired many decades ago by his rendition of Mr. Bojangles.

I really loved that! I love Mr. Stitt! 💘

So melodic, so sensitive. I love him

Man smooth as silk, Sonny and Cannonball are my favorites. Can listen for centuries.

Bird, Cannonball, Stitt. Virtuoso Giants on the alto sax. I still get that stank face listening to these articulated runs. Great influences on my playing still.

Saif, I didn't get it per se, but, Sonny was know to be a cutter and a bit of a smart-ass. I just took it as a joke, and feel very fortunate to have heard him live, and to have spoken with him.

I haven’t heard this song in 30 years. It is still on fire Stitt was dope

I'm so happy that heard him live in Montmartre Copenhagen. An evening I'll never forget. He was a great musician !

Mr Stitt ...thank you

SONNY STITT WAS AWESOME! REST IN POWER SONNY 🎷

This is beautiful. Brilliant saxophonist.

Sonny Stitt is the shit

A great soulful player who just may be the best jazz saxophonist ever.

Great, great, great musician.

This is Sonny meat ,Master at the height of his powers playing with his comtemperies , JJ Johnson ,Kenny "Klook" Clarke , Walter Bishop and Tommy Potter . Listen how Walter sets Sonny up with choice notes rock solid bottom with Tommy and the Father of modern drumming Kenny Clarke .

I am dumbfounded & speechless !

When you hear Stitt on Alto, you automatically know that it’s him. Impeccable timing and effortless technique only are exceeded by his melodic inventiveness in improvising. A jazz giant of the highest order., R.I.P. Sonny.

Is that a kind of slang typical of jazz-musicians, just like "cat" for players? I love you Sonny Stitt, forever, ! I hope this means the same in each context!

Saw him at a Jazz Festival live in '81 + I have heard his recordings many times definatley one of the best ever of all Jazztimes!!!!! lol

Wow, I haven't seen much video of Sonny or Jug for that matter? This is so nice to see...I saw him at a place in Chicago called the "Plug Nickel" in Oldtown when I was 12...never forgot it...Thanks for posting man!

FANTASTIC

It's Sonny Stitt's birthday anniversary today, 2nd February. What a legend🎀💐👌

Sonny is flowing like a quaint creek then gets bigger and wider than the Mississippi ! Beautiful

haunting and beautiful

A great improvisor and unbelievable technique

Great stuff. Thanks for posting

How beautiful this is...

Sooooo beautiful!!!!!

Seriously, play this even in 0.5x time, and Sonny Stitt becomes even more of a freak of nature

Just awesome....

Always so much more there every time I listen to Sonny Stitt, so deep and expressive and effervescent, so much detail.. so much to keep coming back for, the greatest!!

Beautiful...

Je ne me lasse pas d'écouter ce génie grandiose.

One of the greatest in the business and my introduction to jazz alone with Nancy Wilson in the 60s. Got to see him many times.

SALUTE TO ALL THESE MUSICIANS 🎶🎵🎼

Perfect

Saw him with Miles one night. I don't think they liked one another judging from the looks and lack of communication. Ha. But they both played their asses off like they were trying to cut one another. Two of the best ever. Pretty sure it was the Cafe Bohemia.

Sweet technique, Sonny!

Sonny Stitt was one of the greatest.

Oh tan relajante, increible presentacion...

Pure artistry.

This is insane!

Holy shat Sonny - greatness off the charts my man - those who want to play like you, no happening without 10k hours focused study.

One of the greatest solo takes on a tune that I've EVER heard! Mort Weiss SMS JAZZ "The Mort Report" @ All About Jazz

Beautiful

Happy Birth/Earth Day. Will always be my idol.

Just awesome.......

PURE GENIUS!

OMG - I can’t believe that the last comment was 8 years ago ! Sonny is one of the best sax players in that jazz era . He melodic creativity and tone is phenomenal. You don’t hear the same licks over and over like some sax players …. he tells a story with his alto … he is great on tenor as well. He is my favorite sax player , up there with Dexter Gordon and Charlie Parker …

super impressive - wow amazing and beautiful

Not only is Sonny Awesome but Walter Bishop Jr, Tommy Potter and Klook are The Music's Rhythm Dream Team , The Stuff that legends are made off! Salute to the Rhythm Section that never gets to rest! ;-)

More Pres influence than Bird's in this one but anyway..who the hell wasn't influenced by these two? Stitt was more a creative musician than an influenced sax player. much much more.

Andy McGhee shared a lot of cool vintage photographs and stories of Sonny Stitt when I stuedied at Berklee in the early to mid 90s.

He's so fucking perfect, he never makes a mistake

Heavenly

Love Sonny"s music...Saw him 3 time...He came a lot to Scottsdale,Az. Which really supports the Arts...At the Radisen,is the last place I saw him.Sometime in the mid 70"s..Great stuff! Thanks for sharing !!! Looking for "Ghost of a chance"..?

I saw him in Houston; it was a lesson in how to play the saxophone.

Some people are just gifted.

Many thanks for postimg this wonderful small piece of jazz history! I herad it 3 times now, and discover always more! This guys are awesome, there can't be enough "THAANX" to them (and here also to SOGLIDER)! Well done @ all!

You 'r right Sonny was great sax player...This solo is beautiful.

This is a rare video of Howard McGhee (tp) J.J. Johnson (tb) Sonny Stitt (as) Walter Bishop, Jr. (p) Tommy Potter (b) and Kenny Clarke (d) playing Charlie Parker's "Buzzy" on the 1964 BBC TV show "Jazz 625."

Superb!!!

Una perla !!!!! bellissimo. Thank you for this marvellous post

This guy's a genius.

Even if there had not been A Bird there would have been Sonny Stitt. Kenny Clarke

@bramowitz You are absolutely right, I couldn't remember the name of the place to save my life...it was in Old town, north side of Chicago...thanks for the help on that one!!!!

natural but lots do not understands how much thé play and replay was there to mâke them exist and feel unique

Phewww!!! Off the chain awesome version of this song!!!!!

47 thumbs down??? Go figure...This is an amazing performance.

2:51 lick oh... my favourite! 😮 so smooth!

Amazing Stitt!!great cat!!

THIS IS HIS CLASSIC SOLO !!! I got the DVD I first heard this recording in 1960,. (Just the audio)