



Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt - Sonny Side Up
Dizzy Gillespie : trumpet [click here to see more vinyl featuring Dizzy Gillespie]
Sonny Stitt, Sonny Rollins : tenor sax [click here to see more vinyl featuring Sonny Rollins]
Ray Bryant : piano [click here to see more vinyl featuring Ray Bryant]
Tommy Bryant : bass
Charlie Persip : drums
Written by Jimmy McHugh (A1), Dorothy Fields (A1), Sonny Stitt (A2), Avery Parrish (B1), William Bruce (B1), Anne Caldwell O’Dea (B2), Otto Harbach (B2), Vincent Youmans (B2)
1 LP, Gatefold jacket
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33 RPM
Size : 12''
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Optimal
Label : Verve - Vault Series
Original Label : Verve Records
Recorded on December 19th, 1957 at Nola Studio, NYC
Produced by Norman Granz
Liner Notes by Nat Hentoff
Photography by Burt Goldblatt
Originally released in January 1959
Reissued in 2025
Tracks :
Side A:
- On the Sunny Side of the Street
- The Eternal Triangle
Side B:
- After Hours
- I Know That You Know
Reviews :
« Dizzy Gillespie brings together tenor saxophonists Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins for four extended cuts, and in the process comes up with one of the most exciting "jam session" records in the jazz catalog. While the rhythm section of pianist Ray Bryant, bassist Tommy Bryant, and drummer Charlie Persip provides solid rhythmic support, Stitt and Rollins get down to business trading fours and reeling off solo fireworks. Apparently, Gillespie had stoked the competitive fires before the session with phone calls and some gossip, the fallout of which becomes palpable as the album progresses. On "The Eternal Triangle," in particular, Stitt and Rollins impress in their roles as tenor titans, with Stitt going in for sheer muscle as that most stout of bebop cutters and Rollins opting for some pacing as a more thematic player. In the midst of the rivalry (certainly some torch was being passed, since Rollins was soon to become the top tenor saxophonist in jazz), an embarrassment of solo riches comes tumbling out of both these men's horns. Gillespie adds his own split commentary on the proceedings with a casual solo on "After Hours" and a competitively blistering statement on "I Know That You Know." With an at ease rendition of "On the Sunny Side of the Street" rounding things out, Sonny Side Up comes off as both a highly enjoyable jazz set and something of an approximation of the music's once-revered live cutting session. » AllMusic Review by Stephen Cook
Rating:
AllMusic : 4 / 5 ; Discogs : 4.7 / 5