This 1997 CD releases all of the music recorded by
Sonny Stitt (who stuck to alto for the date) on Oct. 11, 1957. The original four songs teamed
Stitt with trumpeter
Roy Eldridge, pianist
Oscar Peterson, guitarist
Herb Ellis, bassist
Ray Brown, and drummer
Stan Levey. Although three of the songs were blues, the most exciting number is ironically the opener, an "I Got Rhythm" run-through on a
Stitt original, "The String," that is note for note the same as his "Eternal Triangle." The two horns are quite combative and inspire each other. Not only is
Stitt heard on a pair of standards without
Eldridge from the same day, but there are 22 minutes of "I Know That You Know," consisting of three full versions, a false start, five breakdowns, an incomplete version, and seven attempts at a coda. The latter serves as proof that more can be less, for there was little reason to release more than one or two versions of the song. [Verve issued an Original Version of the album in 2005.] ~ Scott Yanow