Though some critics foolishly tried to label Sonny Stitt as a Charlie Parker clone, Stitt certainly kept them quiet on this 1959 date. Stitt’s originals, like the slow and powerful “Morning After Blues”, come off as fresh-sounding as executed by this quartet of Lou Levy, Mel Lewis and Leroy Vinnegar.
Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.
Tracklist:
Side A
1. Blue Devil Blues
2. Home Free Blues
3. Blue Prelude
4. Frankie And Johnny
Side B
1. Birth Of The Blues
2. A Blues Offering
3. Hymnal Blues
4. Morning After Blues
Sonny Stitt – alto saxophone
Lou Levy – piano
Leroy Vinnegar – bass
Mel Lewis – drums