Sonny Stitt: Work Done

By GEORGE HARRIS
September 9, 2005
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Sonny Stitt is sure playing like he means it on Work Done. Recorded live at the Keystone Korner in 1976, Stitt is in excellent form as he swings the living daylights out of a searing collection of standards, blues, and contemporary songs. On tenor, he is absolutely presidential, wailing through "Indiana" and "Loose Walk" (also known as "Blues Walk" for you Clifford Brown fans). Stitt spews out more ideas in one solo than any Berklee student could dream of in one semester.

He even burns through contemporary songs such as Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" and "On a Clear Day," turning each pop song into a jazz masterwork. Stitt is absolutely stunning pulling out all of the stops on a radiant reading of "Stardust." The intro to this piece alone is worth the price of admission. Of course, Stitt wouldn't be who he is without a few Bird songs, and his versions of "Lover Man" and "Constellation" are textbook perfect.

With an in-the-pocket rhythm section, Stitt could do no wrong this night. The sound quality is not exactly 24-bit, but there's no need to complain on this evening when this Sonny shined so brightly.