1952 · Album
Favorites, Volume 1
Recorded 1952 · Prestige Records · Produced by Bob Weinstock
The First Stitt Session: 1952 in the Studio
A straightforward hard bop date with no pretense, just five musicians playing standards and blues with direct conviction.
Favorites, Volume 1 documents Sonny Stitt's early work as a bandleader, recorded in 1952 when he was establishing himself as one of tenor saxophone's most capable voices. The session brings together Billy Massey on trumpet, Matthew Gee on trombone, Eugene Wright on bass, and Wesley Landers on drums—a tight quintet built for straightforward blowing. There's no overarching concept here, no elaborate arrangements; instead, the group moves through a mix of standards and blues changes, each player given room to stretch without the album becoming a showcase for any one voice.
What strikes most about the date is its directness. Stitt isn't yet the musician he'd become, but he already has the fundamentals locked—a warm, controlled tone and a melodic sense that doesn't get lost in velocity. Massey and Gee anchor the front line without dominance, and Wright's bass work keeps everything grounded. The rhythm section is solid if not flashy, the kind of foundation that lets everyone breathe. These aren't deep explorations or heated exchanges; they're clean takes of material that works because the band knows what it's doing.
This is worth hearing if you want to understand where Stitt came from, though it's not the album that made his reputation. Start with later records if you want to hear him at peak powers. Here, though, you get something different—a snapshot of a young player in a working band, doing the job well and moving on to the next tune. The music doesn't announce itself as important; it just exists, solid and unadorned.
Who's playing
Eugene Wrightdouble bass
Sonny Stittsaxophone
Billy Masseytrumpet
Matthew Geetrombone
Wesley Landersdrums
Where next?
More by Sonny Stitt
All 25 albums →
