December 1998

Sonny Stitt
How High the Moon
Chess Records

By Harvey Pekar

Sonny Stitt ranks as one of the greatest bop alto and tenormen. Stitt appears here in a 1958 quartet with pianist Barry Harris, a 1964 quintet with trombonist Benny Green and a 1965 quintet with Zoot Sims. Stitt's been criticized for the unambitiousness of his repertoire, consisting mainly of standards, blues and tunes based on rhythm changes. After he developed his style he showed virtually no interest in evolving. But what he did, he did brilliantly, eating up changes, making the fastest tempos with ease. It's hard to argue with the mastery he displays. Note also here Sims' swinging, melodic work.