Dave Rickert
August 2002

Combing the Catalog
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By David Rickert

Boss Tenors In Orbit
Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt
1962

By now the format of the tenor battle is well known; both players start by stating the head, then each gets ample solo time and trade choruses for a few bars to finish off. All of this would be terribly self-indulgent in the wrong hands, and what makes Boss Tenors in Orbit so successful is that both Ammons and Stitt are such fine players. Both display a level of sympathy and emotion in their playing that few can duplicate, as evidenced by the first few tracks. On “Long Ago and Far Away” the two intersperse some bluesy riffs in the middle of some lovely ballad playing, but they really start to dig in on “Walkin’” and “Why Was I Born?” with tasteful flights of melodic invention. Of course tune selection is irrelevant, for once Jug and Sonny get past the head all bets are off. However, instead of trying to settle who is the better musician, both hornmen work together as foils, building upon the ideas introduced by the other (it’s a simple task to keep the pair apart; Stitt is in the left channel and Ammons is on the right). The rhythm section is content to remain just that, only taking a few polite solos so as not to overshadow the leaders. Although not as good as the earlier Boss Tenors, Boss Tenors In Orbit is still quite a treat.

Ella at Juan-Les-Pins
Ella Fitzgerald
1964

Ella’s greatest recordings for Verve are unquestionably the Songbook series, but she also made some excellent live recordings for the label as well. There’s a hugs difference between Studio Ella and Live Ella; buoyed by an orchestra, Studio Ella is well-mannered and sophisticated whereas Live Ella, backed by a stripped-down combo, is raw and earthy, more bluesy than beauty. Taped over two nights at a jazz festival on the French Riviera, Ella at Juan-Les-Pins documents Ella at her best, belting out distinctive versions of standards and displaying a knack for scat singing and spontaneously invented lyrics. Of course “A Tisket-A-Tasket” and “Summertime” are included, which Ella could virtually call her own, but she also includes newer songs such as the Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love”, and “The Boy From Ipanema”, both of which fit in comfortably with the older material. The quartet stays mostly out of the way, letting Ella work her magic; Roy Eldridge is never really afforded any solo time, for his job is to complement the singing with subtle riffing in the shadows. The music is without a doubt sublime, but unfortunately the amount of it is probably overkill. The set list for both nights is virtually identical with a few substitutions, and shows how consistently Ella can perform, but given that it doubles the cost of the package, it seems unnecessary to include both performances; there’s just not enough difference in either of the sets to justify the inclusion of all the unissued takes. Although Ella fans will no doubt be delighted to own the whole collection, most would probably have preferred a single disc selection of the best of both nights and saved some money.

Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt-Boss Tenors In Orbit

Tracks: 1. Long Ago and Far Away; 2. Walkin’; 3. Why Was I Born?; 4 John Brown’s Body; 5. Bye-Bye, Blackbird.

Personnel: Gene Ammons-tenor saxophone; Sonny Stitt-tenor saxophone, alto saxophone; Don Patterson-organ; Paul Weeden-guitar; Billy James-drums.

Ella Fitzgerald-Ella at Juan-Les-Pins

Tracks: Disc 1: 1. Introduction 2. Hello, Dolly! 3. Day In, Day Out 4. Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin' 5. I Love Being Here With You 6. People 7. Someone To Watch Over Me 8. Can't Buy Me Love 9. Them There Eyes 10. The Lady Is A Tramp 11. Summertime 12. Cutie Pants 13. I'm Puttin' All My Eggs In One Basket 14. St. Louis Blues 15. Perdido 16. A-Tisket, A-Tasket 17. Mack The Knife 18. A-Tisket, A-Tasket 19. Honeysuckle Rose 20. Introduction 21. Hello, Dolly! 22. Day In, Day Out 23. Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin' 24. I Love Being Here With You. Disc 2: 1. People 2. Someone To Watch Over Me 3. Can't Buy Me Love 4. Them There Eyes 5. The Lady Is A Tramp 6. Summertime 7. Cutie Pants 8. I'm Puttin' All My Eggs In One Basket 9. St. Louis Blues 10 Perdido 11. A-Tisket, A-Tasket 12. Goody Goody 13. The Boy From Impanema 14. They Can't Take That Away From Me 15. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To 16. Shiny Stockings 17. Somewhere In The Night 18. I've Got You Under My Skin 19. Blues In The Night 20. Too Close For Comfort 21. Mack The Knife 22. When Lights Are Low/A-Tisket, A-Tasket 23. The Cricket Song 24. How High The Moon 25. A-Tisket, A-Tasket/When Lights Are Low.

Personnel: Ella Fitzgerald-vocal; Roy Eldridge-trumpet; Tommy Flanagan-piano; Bill Yancey-bass; Gus Johnson-drums.

Verve on the web: http://www.verveinteractive.com