Sonny Stitt - Sits in With the Oscar Peterson Trio

This CD combines together a complete session that Sonny Stitt (doubling on alto and tenor) did with the 1959 Oscar Peterson Trio (which includes the pianist/leader, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen) and three titles from 1957 with Peterson, Brown, guitarist Herb Ellis and drummer Stan Levey. The music very much has the feel of a jam session and, other than a themeless blues, all of the songs are veteran standards. Highlights of this fine effort include "I Can't Give You Anything but Love," "The Gypsy," "Scrapple from the Apple," "Easy Does It" and "I Remember You." Lots of cooking music. - by Scott Yanow, AMG

As college students we considered the appearance of this album a major event because, unlike so many of his recordings, Sonny was matched by a rhythm section that he could not merely steamroller over. Oscar, Ray and Ed turn up the burners a notch, not simply supporting but complementing Sonny's sense of melody and swing, and he responds with slightly more animated and extended though no less perfect solos. I memorized every note of his opening statement on "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" and transcribed it to piano. Twenty years later I got him to play "The Gipsy" for me in a practically deserted Greenwich Village club.- by Samuel Chell, Amazon.com

Artist: Sonny Stitt & Oscar Peterson Trio
Album: Sits in With the Oscar Peterson Trio
Year: 1959
Label: Verve (1991)
Runime: 51:06

Tracks:
1.  I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh) 4:04
2.  Au Privave (Charlie Parker) 4:00
3.  The Gypsy (Billy Reid) 3:27
4.  I'll Remember April (Don Raye/Gene DePaul/Patricia Johnston) 4:43
5.  Scrapple from the Apple (Charlie Parker) 4:21
6.  Moten Swing (Bennie Moten) 7:09
7.  Blues for Pres, Sweets, Ben & All the Other Funky Ones (Sonny Stitt) 6:05
8.  Easy Does It (Trummy Young/Sy Oliver) 5:24
9.  I Didn't Know What Time It Was (Lorenz Hart/Richard Rodgers) 3:27
10.  I Remember You (Johnny Mercer/Victor Schertzinger) 3:46
11.  I Know That You Know (Annie Caldwell/Vincent Youmans) 4:40

Personnel:
Sonny Stitt (Alto and Tenor Saxophone)
Oscar Peterson (Piano)
Ray Brown (Double Bass)
Ed Thigpen (Drums ) - 1-8
Herb Ellis (Guitar) - 9-11
Stan Levey (Drums) - 9-11